h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It might seem rather fatuous to mention an addiction to music in the same place as these seemingly more terrible afflictions but I meanit seriously to some extent.
When you become addicted to music nothing else matters. You start sneering at people who don't share your level of knowledge and quickly lose friends.
You also start haemoragging money.
While a teenager 100% of my available funds went on music. Every monday I would go down to the record shop after school and buy records. What I didn't spend here I spent on gig tickets and festivals. It got to the point where I couldn't afford the fares to school because of the records and so walked 6 miles a day instead. Luckily my parents wouldn't let me take a job while at school so my grades didn't suffer. Unfortunatly when I got to uni I was able to take a job, and my student loan, and convert them into cds and vinyl. This left me in serious credit card debt that I am still recovering from.
The next year I became music editor of my university's student paper and got about 5 free albums a week and virtually any gig tickets I wanted. This helped my urge for new records a bit but I still found myself spending on back catalogue and the few things I couldn't get free.
In the end what saved me was the combination of poverty and a new addiction.
I learned to cook to a high standard, something I couldn't spend too much on as there is only so much I can eat.
I still worry about a relapse.
This is all serious. I really couldn't control my music addiction.

I suppose the one advantage of my addiction is that I can still experience the highs now whenever I play the records. Whereas others don't have anything to show for their addictions.

oh my god!
sorry
i was really touched by your story. I really enjoy music as i have been taking dance lessons since i was 5 years old and i just dance to any music and i have learnt to appreciate different kinds of music but i would never get addicted. i hope you never have a relapse.
Marty